Shadows of Light
by finnicko-loves-anniec
Summary: With Corellia's bid for independence, the galaxy is yet again thrown into a state of crisis. Ben Skywalker treads ever closer to the dark side under the tutelage of his cousin, Jacen Solo. As darkness threatens to claim the galaxy, the young Jedi falls under the influence of a new Sith Lord. A Legacy of the Force AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** The T rating is for violence and dark themes in later chapters. Unsurprisingly, I do not own Star Wars.

* * *

Ben looked down at the amulet in his hand. On the surface, it was identical to the copy Jacen had given him, but in the Force, it radiated the same cold, cruel glee that he had felt on Almania. He shuddered slightly at the sensation of holding something so steeped in what his father would call dark side energy before slipping it into his pocket.

"Guardsman Skywalker will take care of you from now on," said the dying man, dragging Ben out of his thoughts.

He did not bother to correct the man; in his last moments of life, it would be cruel to destroy his hope for his daughter. Instead, did what Jacen would do in his situation and tried to find more information. "Why did you steal the Amulet of Kalara?"

"I didn't."

Through the Force, Ben could sense the truth in Faskus's words. Still, the man must know something. He had not found the Amulet on a street corner and come to hide on Ziost with it by chance alone. "How did it come into your possession, then?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.

Faskus paused for a moment before he spoke. "It was given to me by a Bothan named Dyur. I run, well, ran, a courier business on Alamania. A few days ago, he came in with the Amulet. He told me to bring it here, to land at specific coordinates and carry the amulet to a nearby cave. He said to come alone." The man blinked away a few tears and laughed harshly, wincing and clutching his stomach as the small motion further irritated his wound. "I'm sorry, Kiara. I wish I had. I'm so sorry."

Ben barely spared Faskus's daughter a glance. The dark-haired girl, six or seven at the oldest, was of little concern to him or his mission. He turned his attention back to the girl's father. "And you were strafed?" he asked.

"I was partway to the cave when I heard the engine roar. I ran back to the _Blacktooth. _They were firing on it, a TIE fighter. Kiara was still inside. I had to reach her." The man's love for his daughter was obvious on his face. "Please, untie my hands so I can hold her."

He agreed, and used Faskus's vibroblade to cut through the bindings he had tied just a few minutes before. Kiara ran into her father's arms, and the two comforted each other through Faskus's last moments of life.

To give them a bit of privacy, Ben busied himself with going through Faskus's limited survival gear. He was pleasantly surprised by what he found: several thick blankets, rations, a length of cord, blasters with extra powerpacks, and the poles and pegs of the tent. He considered taking Faskus's clothing as well, but decided it would be of little use. Once he had finished dividing the gear into two packs, he strapped the heavier pack onto Shaker and hoisted the other onto his back.

"Good news, Shaker," he addressed the astromech. "We've got several power packs. If you have adapters, we can keep you going for a long time."

The droid should have been happy, but he only gave a long, whining whistle and trained its sensors on Kiara and Faskus.

Ben nodded. "Yeah, it's sad, but we can't do anything about it now. Ready?" He set off without waiting for a reply, but he quickly realized that the R2 unit was not following him. "Come on, Shaker."

The droid looked back at Kiara, but he eventually followed Ben. Before they were out of earshot, Kiara called to them. "Hey! You can't go! Daddy said you were going to take care of us."

He took a few seconds to compose himself before responding. Jacen always told him to make logical decisions, and not to rely on his emotions. Ben turned back to the girl only after he was certain his expression was unreadable. "I'm sorry, but I never said I would." It hurt to say, but he needed to focus on his mission. Everything else, including this girl, was of secondary importance.

"You can't leave him! The animals will eat him!" He could hear her grief and anger in her voice. As he watched the snowflakes land in her hair, he accepted that Kiara would not live through the night by herself. He wanted to believe that the shiver than went through him was due entirely to the cold, but Ben knew better than to lie to himself. He wanted to save the girl, but he could not risk his own life and the mission for her sake.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He kept walking. Eventually, he couldn't hear the little girl's sobs anymore.

Shaker followed him, and after a few minutes, a beep came from his datapad. He checked it. WHAT IS OUR DESTINATION?

"I had a look at Faskus's datapad," he answered. "There's information on Ziost that I don't have. There were some ruins labeled on his map. That's where we're headed. We might be able to find some supplies there, and maybe there are population centers nearby. We might even find where the TIE fighter is kept and be able to use it to get out of here."

WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THE GIRL BEHIND?

That question was more difficult. "Because if she's with us, we'll go through our resources faster. We might not get to where we need to go. Our mission is more important than her life." He felt sick as he spoke, but logically, he knew that his reasoning was sound.

IS THE MISSION MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LIFE AS WELL?

"Of course," he replied immediately. In the wrong hands, the Amulet could cause tremendous damage, allowing its owner to hurt or kill thousands or even millions. He had to deliver it to Jacen at any cost, including his own life.

The droid seemed satisfied with his answer, and for the next hour they walked in silence. Ben tried not to dwell on Kiara, but he couldn't stop thinking about the little girl. She did not deserve to die; she had done nothing wrong. Still, saving her would most likely cost him the mission, and all the people that could be saved by delivering the Amulet to Jacen far outweighed one girl.

Something on his person beeped. Ben quickly pulled out his datapad, worried that Shaker had somehow malfunctioned. Usually, the droid whistled before sending him a message. He hoped that nothing was seriously wrong with his only companion.

Instead of an urgent message from Shaker, an image of his parents crackled onto the screen. They looked happy, with their arms around each other and big smiles on both of their faces.

His mother spoke first. "Ben, in case you hadn't noticed, you're fourteen!"

A sour taste crept into his mouth as he thought back to his last birthday. On that day, his parents had taken a break from their busy lives to spend the day as a family, visiting one of Coruscant's many indoor amusement parks. This year, Ben was cold and alone on the Sith homeworld. He would give anything to go back to that time. Everything had been so simple then.

"Congratulations on another birthday! So, whatever torture your teachers, including me, had in store for you today, forget it." Luke continued, "Report to me for your birthday credits, and the rest of the day is yours to enjoy."

With that, the message ended. Ben stared at the dark screen for several long moments, fighting back tears. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad." He choked out the next words. "For my fourteenth birthday, I killed a little girl." Finally, he could no longer hold back his emotions. He sat down and cried, only wiping the tears away when they began to freeze on his face. His decision to leave Kiara had been the right one, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

When he was out of tears, he stood and addressed Shaker. "You ready to go?" he asked, trying to hide the rawness of his voice. Even if the droid had watched him cry just a few minutes before, he did not want to confess his weakness.

The droid gave an affirmative beep, and Ben began to walk in the direction of the ruins. Today, he felt much older than fourteen.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I owe most of the dialogue, as well as the general sequence of events, in this chapter to chapter fifteen of _Exile _by Aaron Allston. Future chapters will deviate further from canon.

The idea for this fic came from a guest review on one of my other fics that suggested I write a story with Ben as Jacen's Sith apprentice. I loved the idea and wanted to develop it more thoroughly in a multi-chapter fic. However, this will not be a terribly long story. I plan to update fairly frequently, but would rather wait until I'm truly satisfied with a chapter than publish sub-par work, so please don't get worried if an update comes later than expected. Feedback is much appreciated. Thanks again for reading!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	2. Chapter 2

They quickly fell into a steady routine. Each day, they hiked through Ziost's unforgiving landscape in almost perfect silence, only speaking when absolutely necessary. Shaker kept watch at night as Ben attempted to sleep. Even after a full day of trekking, it was difficult to rest on a planet so cold and heavily populated with predators.

The first time he heard the voices, Ben thought he had imagined them. He thought back to the stories Jacen had told him of Imperial prisoners kept in isolation for so long that they were driven mad. Perhaps, like those prisoners, he had become so starved for interaction that he had dreamt their soft, cloying words.

Eventually, though, he came to trust the whispers. They woke him when the yellow-eyed predators came too close to his camp and encouraged him during the day. Ben found that the further he walked, the stronger and more distinct the voices became. He could feel them urging him on, telling him to come quickly, and he pushed himself every day to go further, to walk faster, anything he could do to arrive at the ruins as soon as possible. A part of him knew that something was wrong, that voices whispering to him from Sith ruins were not to be trusted, but still he obeyed their commands.

After nine days, the last of Shaker's powerpacks became depleted, and Ben was forced to continue by himself. He missed the small amount of companionship that the R2 unit had provided, but these new presences were certainly more encouraging than Shaker had ever been.

At eleven days, Ben ran completely out of rations. Still, he kept walking. He needed to get the Amulet back to Jacen, and the ruins were his best chance of finding transportation off this world. But if he could not find any food, his mission could soon be over. Even Jedi survival training could only go so far. After three days with no food, he could hardly stand, much less walk for hours. "Got any help, guys?" he said aloud to no one in particular.

Cruel glee flooded him in the Force, and a small, black creature emerged from the bush, meekly approaching Ben and then laying on its stomach before him. Ben's eyes widened in surprise, as he had not seen any animals like this during his time on Ziost, but he quickly pushed all emotions aside to focus on survival. He killed the deer-like creature with his vibroblade and made a small fire to cook the meat. Ben sent his gratitude out through the Force, and the voices seemed to accept his thanks.

With his strength restored, Ben could walk faster, and after only a few more days, he finally reached the ruins. Though the voices urged him forward, he stopped for several long minutes to survey the area before approaching the long-abandoned buildings.

The Sith settlement had weathered the years far better than the ruins Ben had seen on other worlds. The gray stone structures retained their sharp edges, and Ben could not see a single collapsed wall or empty pediment where a fallen building had once stood. Though the town looked as though it could still be occupied, it radiated a stillness in the Force that told him it must have stood empty for many years.

He flung himself to the ground and grabbed his lightsaber from his belt as soon as he recognized the pang of danger in the Force. Half a second later, a laser blast scorched the ground next to him. Ben looked up to see a TIE fighter looping back for a second attack. He ran into the abandoned city, hoping that the pilot would have a hard time locating him in between the cramped buildings than in the clearing.

At first, it seemed that Ben's strategy had worked. He worked himself into a crevice in one of the walls, and the TIE flew over the city half a dozen times without firing a single shot. Eventually, the pilot grew tired of waiting and sent a volley of blasts into the city center. Ben could hear the ancient structures of the surrounding buildings crumbling, and the weight of thousands of stones falling to the street caused the ground to shake. Worried that his building would be next target, he scuttled out of the crevice and ran away from the city center. The pilot of the TIE spotted the motion and turned to blast him. Ben braced himself and ran faster, but he knew it would not be enough.

Suddenly, an old, strong presence not unlike the voices that had accompanied him these last few weeks sent a wave of raw power through the Force. Ben used the power to sprint away from the fighter, and though he knew that he had escaped the immediate blast, he was surprised when he did not hear the sound of stone shattering after the round of laserfire. He turned to look back at the TIE.

What he saw amazed him. Hovering between him and the TIE fighter was something that looked like nothing more than a pulsing red-orange eye held aloft by bat-like wings. The creature must have somehow absorbed the fire, as Ben could see no pockmarks in the stones where the blast could have hit.

_Run_, the creature demanded through the Force. Ben obeyed, dashing through the clearing and into the forest. Only after he sensed the pilot's surge of despair and heard the TIE fighter crash to the surface did he dare to stop.

"What are you?" he asked aloud.

_I am Ship_, the creature responded. It floated down to land in the clearing.

Sensing that Ship wanted Ben to join him, he stepped out of the forest. Up close, Ship reminded him of the Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology that Jacen had often described. This puzzled Ben. The Yuuzhan Vong and their creations were invisible in the Force, but Ship conveyed a powerful Force presence. "Why did you help me?"

_I exist to serve those like you_. An opening on Ship's exterior dilated into existence. _Please, join me_.

Ben understood that Ship wanted him to climb aboard, and after thinking for a moment, he stepped inside the creature. "Can you take me to a settlement?" he asked. "I need to find transportation offplanet."

_I can take you to your master to deliver your package_, Ship replied.

"How did you know?" asked Ben. He suspected that Ship could receive messages through the Force, but could he also read Ben's thoughts?

_I can do a great many things. I will take you to your master now, _promised Ship.

Ben sat down, crossing his legs in a meditative pose. "How long do you think it will take?"

_Patience _was the only reply he received.

* * *

After sixteen days in transit, Ship alerted him that they were approaching the _Anakin Solo_.

Ben thanked the vessel and reached out to his cousin. An unknown vessel approaching the newest Star Destroyer in the fleet would surely be fired upon. Jacen, as usual, was invisible in the Force, but he must have noticed Ben's attempts to communicate with him, as he sent Ben a warm wave of reassurance. Ben thought that Jacen had understood that he would be arriving on an unusual vessel, and that his cousin had warned the crew not to blast them, but he warned Ship to be careful anyway.

Ship seemed amused by his concern. _I am always ready_, it said.

Ben shook his head. "A reminder won't hurt you," he replied.

Luckily, Jacen had ordered the crew not to fire, and they were directed to land in a high security docking bay. No sooner had Ship touched down than Ben saw Jacen waiting in the hangar for him. Ship's hatch opened, and Ben hurried to his cousin. "You asked me to get this, and I did," he said before Jacen could speak, holding out the heavily jeweled amulet.

Jacen accepted the item and smiled. "You did well, Ben."

"I found it on Ziost, in case you want to know. And that's where I got the ship, too. Someone tried to kill me, and I grabbed the first thing I could to escape."

His cousin's eyebrows arched in surprise, but his voice remained calm. "It was a dangerous mission, but I knew you could handle it." Jacen smiled proudly. "Who tried to kill you?"

Ben knew that debriefing was part of every mission, but right now he just wanted to rest. As a Jedi and Galactic Alliance Guardsman, he needed to fulfill his duties. "A Bothan set me up. Dyur," he explained. "He paid a courier to take the Amulet to Ziost, framed him as the thief, and the guy ended up dead. Dyur's dead now too, at least I think he is. I hope that ship was his."

"How?"

"This ship is armed, and it's good in a fight even without a pilot. It launches some kind of rock, though I think it might have other weapons as well." Ship's presence grew warm and elated, as though it was basking in Ben's praise.

Jacen looked at Ship appraisingly. Ben could see that the man was thinking, though he didn't say anything out loud. When he finally spoke, his tone was serious. "Ben, treat this as top secret. The ship is now classified, like your mission. Not a word to anyone."

"I was hoping that I would be able to keep Ship," Ben said. He had not realized the truth of his words until they were already spoken, and he felt agreement from Ship. "He said on our journey here that he is meant to serve beings like me."

Jacen nodded. "Very well, then. Do you need any credits to get back to Coruscant? Though this ship certainly makes an entrance, I think it might be best for you to arrive in a less notable fashion."

"Yes, thank you." While his cousin dug through his pockets for untraceable credit chips, Ben gave one last glance to Ship. He knew the vehicle would understand how grateful he was and how much he would miss it. In return, he received a pulse of something almost like friendship.

"That should be enough." Jacen handed him about ten chips of different denominations.

Ben saluted and turned to leave. His cousin's voice stopped him.

"Ben, I really am proud of you," said Jacen.

Ben smiled back. "Thank you, sir." With that, he knew he was dismissed.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I really hope you are enjoying the story so far. Some dialogue came from _Sacrifice_, and the original events are depicted in _Exile _and _Sacrifice_. Thanks to NoImagination, ElsaSkywalker, and Hi I'm ur for reviewing – I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks again!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	3. Chapter 3

Four shuttle trips and two weeks later, Ben finally touched down on Coruscant. He dug through his travel duffel and pulled out the cheap comlink he had bought in a backwater spaceport. From memory, he dialed in the code and waited for an answer.

"Master Skywalker here. Who is this?" asked a female voice.

Ben wanted to cry at the sound of his mother's voice. The events of the last few weeks crashed over him, leaving Ben feeling guilty and vulnerable. "Mom? It's me. I just landed planetside."

"Are you all right, sweetie? Where are you? Stay there – I'm going to come and get you."

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine. I'll get air taxi–"

"No arguments. I have missed you for weeks and am not letting some air taxi driver see you before I do. Where are you?" His mother's voice was demanding, but after close to nine weeks of loneliness and harsh freedom, Ben appreciated someone telling him what to do.

"I'm at the Galactic City spaceport, Mom. I'll wait just outside the arrivals gate."

He could hear the relief in Mara's voice. "I'll be there soon, sweetheart. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." The click from the other line told him that Mara had ended the call. Ben found a seat and settled in for the wait. He'd spent the last two weeks waiting on shuttles and in spaceports with nothing to do, but now that he was so close to home, even an hour's wait seemed unbearable. Ben's attempts at meditating failed, and he had only a single change of clothing and some survival gear in his bag, so he amused himself by purchasing an overpriced but delicious-looking chocolate pastry from one of the vendors.

He people watched as he ate his snack, but his experience in the GAG stopped him from enjoying the experience. Everywhere, he saw potential threats. The female Twi'lek with the too-large purse was probably carrying spice or other contraband. The man by the drinking fountain wearing a Corellian vest similar to Uncle Han's would have been stopped by GAG on suspicion of terrorism, but Ben had seen him glide through security. Ben was glad that his work with the GAG helped keep Coruscant safe, but he sometimes wished that he could go back to being a little kid again. Things had been so much easier then.

A warm, familiar presence brushed against his in the Force. He jumped up and ran across the port into his mother's arms.

Mara pressed a kiss to her son's cheek. "How have you been, sweetie?"

"I've been all right." Ben stepped away and glanced meaningfully around the hangar. "Can we talk somewhere a bit more private?"

One of his mother's eyebrows rose with suspicion, but she nodded. "Sure. Want to get something to eat?"

"Don't I always?"

Mara smiled. "Come on, I parked outside." She drove them to a small Toydarian restaurant that Ben had never visited before. They placed their orders, and only once the wait staff had left did Mara speak again. "Okay, Ben, what is it? Where have you been?" Though Ben could read the tension in her Force presence, she kept her posture casual, a habit left over from years of undercover work.

"Jacen asked me to go on a mission for him," Ben began.

His mother swore under her breath, but her face remained calm.

"What – did he not tell you that he'd sent me away?"

Mara's lip curled in anger. "No. He suggested to your father that we'd driven you to run away by being too overbearing. Your dad took it pretty hard." She paused for a moment. "What were you doing, and why did Jacen lie to your father?"

"It was a really secret mission. I probably shouldn't be telling you about it." Ben immediately felt guilty. Every scrap of information involving the GAG was on a strictly need-to-know basis. Just because his mother was a Jedi Master didn't mean he could tell her any more than Lekauf or Shevu could tell their parents or girlfriends.

Mara leaned in closer to him. "Ben, I am your mother, and you are fourteen. Trust me, I have all the security clearances to hear about what you've been doing. Tell me."

"I … I can't." Ben tore his gaze away from his mother and looked around the restaurant, desperately hoping that the server was about to return with their drinks. No such luck. He turned back to his mother. "Mom, have you ever done something that you weren't proud of?"

She snorted. "Sweetie, being the Emperor's Hand ensured that I have years' worth of things I'm not proud of. What happened?"

Just then, the server droid reappeared with their drinks. Ben thanked the droid and took a long sip before he spoke. "I left a little girl to die." He knew that it had been the right thing to do, but right now Ben wanted nothing more than to melt into a puddle of shame to escape that terrible reality.

His mother's expression was a mixture of empathy and revulsion. She reached across the table to grab his hand. "I need an explanation," she said.

Ben marveled at her ability to stay so calm. "Jacen gave me a mission. He wanted me to find something for him, and it was supposed to be a pretty simple task – just going into a building and stealing something. But someone got there before me, and they took it to Ziost."

His mother gasped at the mention of the Sith homeworld.

"Anyway, it was kinda complicated, but there was a dying man and his daughter. Someone had shot down my ship, so I didn't have any supplies except for what I scavenged from their camp, but the man told his daughter I would take care of her."

"But you knew that you couldn't take care of her and still live on the limited supplies you had, so you left her." There were tears in his mother's eyes, but she shrugged. "Ben, I can't say I would have done anything differently. I'm not sure what else you could have done, but it's still terrible. I wish that I could have sheltered you from choices like that for a few more years."

A part of him wanted to break down and cry for Kiara right there in the middle of the restaurant, but Ben knew better. "I feel a little better now," he said. "It was good to get that off my chest."

Mara's face was scrunched in regret as she stared into her drink. "Yes, sometimes it's good to talk about those types of things." She looked him in the eye. "You do know that I'm always here if you need someone, right? I'll never love you any less for admitting something like that."

He nodded. "I know, Mom."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence as their food arrived. Ben loved Toydarian food, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything more than push a few vegetables around his plate. Mara managed a few bites, but she seemed equally enthused with her meal.

"Should we get this boxed up?" she asked.

Ben nodded. While the serving droid put their meals into containers for them to take home, he felt his comlink vibrate in his pocket. Odd. Only his mother and Jacen had the code, and Mara wouldn't call him if he was seated three feet away. Jacen must have another assignment for him.

Sensing that Mara would not be happy if he talked to Jacen right now, Ben did not pick up his comlink. He did, however, make a mental note to call back. He smiled at his mother. "Ready to leave?"

"Yep." They grabbed their boxes, paid the waitstaff, and left.

"Mom, can we keep what we just talked about between you and me? I don't really want to tell Dad what happened on Ziost."

Mara nodded sadly. "Sure, sweetheart. If that's what you want."

Ben was grateful. Dad would've figured out a way to save both himself and the little girl. He couldn't confess what he'd done to Luke Skywalker.

* * *

Only late that night did he finally get a chance to call Jacen. He waited until both of his parents were fast asleep before getting out his comlink and dialing his cousin's comm code.

Jacen's comlink only rang twice before he answered. "Hello, Ben."

"Hi Jacen, what's happening?"

"I wanted to make sure you'd gotten home safely," his cousin answered.

Ben couldn't help but think that there was another motive for this call, but he played along. "Yeah, I got here this afternoon. My parents were really happy to see me."

"Are they around?" asked Jacen.

"Nope."

"Good. I have another mission for you."

_That _was interesting. Another mission that he couldn't tell his parents about so soon after Ziost? "What do you need me to do?" he asked.

Jacen's reply was so quiet that Ben had to press his comlink to his ear to hear anything. "I need a figure … removed, and I can't trust this to anyone else," whispered his cousin. "Come to GAG headquarters tomorrow. We'll talk about this in more detail then."

"Okay. Skywalker out." He powered off his comlink and readied himself for bed. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of assassinating someone, but Jacen would never ask him to do something that wasn't for the greater good. He would gladly murder one so that many could live, he told himself.

* * *

Mara finished brushing her hair and glanced at her husband's reflection in the mirror. Luke looked worried, as though the last few weeks had aged him. "What's wrong, Skywalker?" she asked.

"Is Ben all right? He barely spoke at dinner." His voice held the same stress as his features.

She grabbed her toothbrush from its spot next to the sink. "Yeah, I think he is," she replied. "He went through some bad stuff while he was away, but he'll be okay." Mara stood up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his temple. "Don't worry, Skywalker, Ben's strong."

"I don't want him to have to be strong yet. He's fourteen, Mara. At that age, I'd never even been away from home for more than a day or two. He's killed people and joined the secret police."

Mara wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. "I know," she murmured. "He's growing up fast, just like the Solo kids did. I'll agree that it's less than ideal, but we just need to accept that our son's not going to have a normal childhood."

"And the running away … Did he tell you why he left?"

She paused for a moment. She wanted to tell her husband the whole truth, but she had promised Ben that she wouldn't tell Luke about his mission. "It wasn't us, Skywalker. I can't tell you anything else, but know that." Hopefully, Ben would someday admit what had happened on Ziost to his father. Until that day, she would keep her promise. "Ready for bed?"

"Very much. I think I'll sleep better knowing that Ben is home safe."

"That makes two of us."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Special thanks to NoImagination, ElsaSkywalker, and well for reviewing – I really appreciate the feedback. Until next time,

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	4. Chapter 4

"You asked to see me, sir?"

Jacen looked up from his pile of papers and smiled. "Ben, you do know that you don't have to call me sir. I appreciate the gesture, but it's really not necessary when it's just the two of us."

Ben relaxed his rigid posture. "All right. Jacen, what did you want to talk about?"

"Come sit down." His cousin gestured to the only other chair in his cramped office, and Ben dutifully sat down after setting aside the messy piles of flimsi that covered it. Jacen waited until Ben was comfortably settled to speak again, this time in a much lower, softer tone. "What do you know about Dur Gejjen?"

"The new Corellian Prime Minister?" Ben thought for a moment. "Not much – I haven't had time to catch up on the security briefings since I've gotten back. From what little I've seen, he seems reasonable, far more so than Thrackan was, anyway. I've also heard some speculation that he was behind the attack on the queen mother. Is that true?" If anyone in the GA knew the details of the recent assassination attempt on Tenel Ka, it would be Jacen.

His cousin nodded. "Yes, it seems Gejjen has quite the history of killing of people that stand in his way. That's how he got rid of Thrackan, and we have reliable information that he's had a few other top Corellian politicians removed as well. With the attempt on Tenel Ka, I'm afraid that Omas is next."

"That does seem like the next logical step," Ben agreed. He thought of all the problems the GA would face if it lost Omas. In the best case scenario, Omas's successor would take power almost immediately, and the GA would lose little ground in the ongoing war. Ben knew better than to bet on the best case. More than likely, losing Omas would result in a power vacuum. Different segments of the GA would be following the command of competing would-be Chiefs of State, and chaos would result. A weak, splintered GA could do little to stop Gejjen. Corellia could win the war while pieces of the GA squabbled with each other.

Ben looked up to see Jacen watching him intently. "It's a horrifying possibility, isn't it?" asked the colonel.

He nodded and looked down at his hands, willing his brain to shut off. Ben didn't even want to _think _about what something like that could do not just to the galaxy as a whole, but also his own family. If the GA won, maybe Dad and Uncle Han could be friends again, and Uncle Han could forgive Jacen for everything he'd done to save the GA. But if the Confederacy won, there'd be no hope for reconciliation. Aunt Leia and Uncle Han would probably never _really _be part of the family again.

"It doesn't have to be that way." Jacen's voice was gentle, and Ben looked up to meet his eyes. "We could stop him before he hurts anyone else."

A wave of realization washed over him. _Of course _Jacen had called him here to talk about assassinating Gejjen. "What do I need to do?"

Jacen leaned towards Ben earnestly. "He and Omas are meeting in a couple weeks on Vulpter. We think it might be our best opportunity to get him."

"How do you know that?" slipped out of Ben's mouth before he thought about his words. "Oh yeah, classified, sorry. Umm … why would Omas agree to that? It seems pretty stupid to meet with someone who wants to kill you."

"Actually, we think that Omas really isn't in any danger at this meeting." Jacen rifled through a stack of flimsis before finding the one he was looking for. "He went to some pretty extreme measures to hide from me that he was going to Vulpter in the first place, and even more to veil who he was meeting with. Unfortunately for him, GAG has the best spies in the GA. We were able to pull together most of the relevant details." Jacen passed him the sheet, which had the time, date, and location of Gejjen and Omas's meeting.

Ben memorized the information and handed it back to Jacen. The plan made sense now, but one detail irked him. "Why did he want to hide this meeting from you? It seems like a few GAG people could make a great security team."

Jacen snorted. "Probably so he can use my death as a bargaining point. I can't be very popular on Corellia right now, and Gejjen could gain some points with the public by having me permanently removed from the situation."

"That's terrible." Gejjen had to die. Ben wouldn't let _anybody _hurt Jacen, especially that slug.

His cousin stood and patted him on the back. "Use that emotion, Ben. It will help you."

Dad would call that the dark side, but Ben could see now how ridiculous that assertion was. Being protective wasn't evil; it was just part of love. Surely even his father wouldn't argue that _love _was a dark emotion. He nodded.

"Go talk to Shevu. He'll teach you how to shoot." Jacen escorted him out of the office himself.

Ben could feel his resolve strengthening. Gejjen would die, and Ben wouldn't even feel guilty about it.

* * *

Shevu whistled. "Ninety seven percent accuracy with only two days of practice. Kriff. I think our best sniper at CSF could do ninety two or ninety three on a good day."

"Just another reason we need an army full of Jedi," Lekauf laughed.

Ben lowered his rifle. "Then what would you do?" he joked. "We wouldn't need you guys anymore."

"Keep my uniform and use it and my newfound free time to pick up women in cantinas," Lekauf replied. All three of them laughed.

"Good luck with that one, Lekauf." Shevu's voice took on a more serious tone. "Are you done for the day, Skywalker, or do you want to practice some more?"

He'd spent the majority of the last two days in the shooting range becoming proficient with the Karpaki Fifty slugthrower, but he still wanted to be better. Ben would not allow Gejjen to get away with what he'd done. "I'd like to do another round."

"You realize there're diminishing returns on practice, right?" asked Lekauf.

"Yeah." He didn't care as long as there _were _returns. Ben raised his weapon and slipped his goggles back on.

By the end of the afternoon, he was hitting the target ninety eight percent of the time.

* * *

"Nervous, Skywalker?" Shevu asked.

Ben shook his head, but it was a lie. He was terrified that he would miss, that something would go wrong and get all three of them killed. Ben did not stifle that emotion the way his father had taught him; instead, he _used _it, channeling his fear and his hatred for Gejjen together and feeding on them. He could feel the Force rippling through him, stronger now than ever before. He allowed himself to bask in its power for a moment, his eyelids drifting shut and his muscles relaxing. When he opened his eyes again, he could see Shevu watching him with a concerned expression. "Don't worry, I'm fine." Those words had never been truer.

"We're going to land," announced Lekauf from the cockpit of their small, Corellian shuttle.

Ben checked that he had everything he would need. It wasn't much. He had his rifle with its stand, the vibroblade his mother had given him, and the fake IDs that confirmed that he really was a fifteen year old Corellian boy. Hopefully, that was all he'd need.

The second they landed, Shevu, Lekauf, and Ben got to work destroying any evidence of their presence. They wiped down every surface of the transport with a bleach mixture, replacing the traces of themselves with fake fingerprints and Corellian genetic material. They left Corellian-style clothing in the tiny closets and greasy spiceloaf in the conservator. Any police investigation would determine the passengers on this shuttle must have been Corellian. They worked in perfect silence, each thinking about their mission.

"Ready?" Ben asked. He was confident in his ability to finish off Gejjen, but a part of him wanted to back out. Would he really be fine with killing someone in cold blood? Even filth like the Corellian prime minister deserved a fair, public trial, right?

It didn't matter. Jacen had given him a mission, and it was Ben's duty as his subordinate to see it to completion. If Jacen wanted Gejjen dead, Ben would kill him. It was as simple as that.

Lekauf and Shevu nodded, and Lekauf gave him a quick hug before he left. Ben was a bit embarrassed by the gesture, but he appreciated it. He could use any comfort he could get. Ben hoisted the bag containing his rifle onto his shoulder and smiled at them, trying to look confident.

Alone, he walked through the port, stopping to look at things in shop windows and picking up food from vendors, things his mother had taught him to do to avoid looking suspicious. He paused in front of a building, checking that no one was around, before dashing inside and darting up several flights of stairs to the roof. Ben tucked himself into a corner and ducked down so nobody could see him. Time to wait.

He hoped Lekauf had succeeded in planting a listening device in the room where Gejjen and Omas were meeting. His job would be much easier if he knew exactly when Gejjen left the building across the street. The tiny comlink in his ear beeped three times. The target had entered the meeting room. Ben replied with a single click, letting Shevu know he'd received the message. He began to set up his rifle. He didn't expect that the conference would take more than a couple hours.

Ben allowed his emotions to flow freely. His anger at Gejjen, his fear of failure, the love he felt for his family, everything helped him feel stronger. The Force crackled with energy, and he knew he would be able to direct that power into killing Gejjen. Ben couldn't wait for the man to emerge.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. Four clicks. The meeting had concluded. Ben lied on the ground and pointed his rifle at the building. A minute later, a burly man exited the conference center. Not Gejjen – by his build, he was probably a body guard, which suggested the next person might be –

_Yes_. Ben let the Force guide his hands into the perfect position and pulled the trigger. He watched the path of the projectile as it buried itself in Gejjen's head. The man's knees gave out underneath him as he toppled to the ground. Agony swept over him in the Force, but then he felt nothing. Gejjen was dead; Ben's mission was complete. He wiped down the slugthrower and left it on the rooftop. Any competent police force would be able to figure out the type of weapon and location of the shooter anyway. No reason to risk being caught carrying the weapon.

He hurried down the stairs and into the crowd that had gathered around Gejjen's corpse. Ben nudged through the mass of beings, trying to get out of the area before anybody started searching for suspects. If he could get past the gates of the port before the area was shut down, he would be fine. Shevu and Lekauf would pick him up, and they would travel back to headquarters together. As he walked, Ben thought about what he'd just done. By the moral standards he'd been raised with, murdering Gejjen was wrong, but he didn't feel guilty. He was proud of what he'd accomplished, the same way he felt after any successful mission. Maybe that was just the heat of the moment. After he'd had some time to reflect on the day's events, perhaps he would realize that his actions had been wrong. Ben suspected, though, that he'd never feel that way. Gejjen needed to die so that Jacen could be safe. It was a more than fair trade.

The police arrived at the scene, and Ben started to walk even faster. He couldn't move fast enough, though, and the gates began to close. _Oh no_. True, he wasn't holding the weapon, but he did have the residue all over his clothing. When the police decided to scan everybody, he would almost certainly be caught. _Kriff._

Lekauf's voice caught his attention. "He's dead!" the man screamed. "The kriffing dictator deserved it!" Ben wanted to tell Lekauf to be quiet, to shout at him to stop being so stupid before he got himself killed, but he couldn't. His friend continued to yell, now even louder. "I want all of you here today to remember me as the man who did what was right for Corellia when none of you cowards would!"

Before he knew what he was doing, Ben threw himself to the ground and covered his head. A loud _bang _and a wave of heat ripped through the port. Deep down, Ben knew what had happened, but he didn't want to admit it to himself. _Kriff, Lekauf, _he thought. _Please, no._

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks to NoImagination and ElsaSkywalker for reviewing! I've gone back to school, so I won't be able to update nearly as often, but I do still intend on finishing the story. Don't worry about the lack of new chapters J. Thanks again for reading!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	5. Chapter 5

He managed to stop shaking long enough to get past the security guards, but once he was safely on board the shuttle they had booked to return to Coruscant, he ran to the refresher and vomited. It hurt, but Jacen was right; pain did make you stronger. Ben relished the uncomfortable clenching of his muscles. He had earned it, earned it by living when his friend had died, earned it by not doing well enough to protect him. He didn't want this to end, because for now, he could believe that Lekauf wasn't gone, that he was just waiting outside for Ben, ready to laugh at him for believing such a stupid trick.

But that wasn't going to happen. Lekauf was gone, and Ben should be able to handle it. He forced himself upright and washed away his tears in the sink. Just as he'd known, there was no Lekauf in the cockpit. "You all right, Skywalker?" asked Shevu as he sat down in the copilot's seat.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He looked over at the man. Shevu had never seemed older. There was a rigidity to his features that Ben had never seen before, and his dark eyes revealed a man who had been through too much. Shevu allowed the uneasy silence to sit between them for a few minutes before he spoke again. "You know that Jori had accepted this, right? He knew this could happen, and he and Colonel Solo had talked about what he would have to do if you were in danger. He agreed to it."

Ben nodded. He wasn't sure he could talk without breaking out in tears. He couldn't embarrass the GAG, Jacen, or Lekauf's memory by being weak now.

"It'll get better. Just remember not to blame yourself. It's not your fault. He'd want you to know that."

He tried to smile at the man, but it felt more like a grimace. "Thanks, Shevu."

Together, they ran through the pre-flight checklist, their voices and motions mechanical. The _Kavan_ _Legacy _lifted off. Neither felt any reason to speak during the day-long journey back to Coruscant, and he was grateful for the silence. Ben felt only the cool metal of the control board, the stiffness of his seat, and the terrible emptiness where Lekauf should have been.

.

"I'm sorry about Lekauf. I know he was your friend." Jacen leaned back on his desk as he spoke.

Ben had hoped that he would be numbed to the pain of his friend's death by the time he returned to Coruscant, but when Jacen said the name, it was as though he was seeing the blast for the first time again. _No_, he thought_, no time for that now. There's nothing I can do for Lekauf – time to be Lieutenant Skywalker, not Jacen's cousin Ben_. "The mission was successful. That's what's important."

A half-smile crossed Jacen's face, but it was gone almost before Ben could identify it. "I'm glad you're taking such an enlightened approach to this matter. That outlook will serve you well as you continue with the Guard."

"Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me." Ben stood as straight as he could in the center of the command suite on the _Anakin Solo_. Jacen's quarters looked much like his office on Coruscant. Even though it was far larger, it had the same cramped, cluttered feeling, with dozens of pieces of flimsi and datapads strewn about in piles that could only make sense to their creator, who'd had to move one pile out of his way just to free up a corner of the desk to lean against. Ben addressed his cousin. "Is there anything else, sir?"

Jacen smiled, the look forced. "You can call me Jacen, remember."

"Thank you, sir." Ben grinned as his cousin shook his head. "You didn't answer my question. There's not much to debrief about, so is there anything else you want me to do?"

His cousin shifted uncomfortably and looked down for a moment to gather his thoughts. Ben felt nervous watching him. Whatever Jacen was about to ask, it wouldn't be good. Finally, the colonel met his eyes. "Ben, you know I'd never want you to do something that made you feel dishonest."

_Oh no_. Ben struggled to keep his voice steady. "I am committed to the Guard, Jacen. I'll do what needs to be done."

"I'm glad to hear it. You know that Lekauf and Shevu were able to bug the room where Gejjen and Omas met, yes?" Ben nodded. "Good. Well, some of our Intelligence people thought some of Gejjen's remarks sounded a bit suspicious, so they started looking into the former PM's other communications. They think he was talking to the Jedi, or at least a high-ranking member of the Jedi Order, probably on the Council, without the knowledge of either the GAG or the Chief of State's office."

Ben's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What were they talking about? Was this Master trying to negotiate some type of separate peace with the Corellians?"

"No such luck. We think that this person – or maybe even the Council as a whole – has been leaking information to the Corellians. Troop and ship movements, details of meetings between the Council and the Chief of State's office, all kinds of things. That's where you come in, Ben."

"You can trust me, Jacen." He _would _find this person. They hadn't just betrayed the Galactic Alliance; they had backstabbed Jacen and his parents, and that was an offense that could not be forgiven.

Jacen nodded. "I knew I could. You're in a unique position in that you live with two of the most powerful Masters. The Council doesn't trust me, but you'll be in a position to see and hear much of what goes on in the Council chambers, though indirectly, of course. I want you to report back to me on anything and everything you hear, even the things that don't seem important at the time. It'll be an insignificant-seeming detail that gives away our spy. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes." His voice held no hesitation. He would do whatever was necessary.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Skywalker. You are dismissed." Jacen saluted him, and Ben left the chambers as quickly as was permissible, Lekauf all but forgotten. There was no time to dwell on that now. He had a traitor to find.

.

**A/N**: Thanks for reading! I'm sorry it's been so long. I'll try to update a bit more regularly – think weeks rather than months. Thank you so much to AweSome, NoImagination, NotNoImagination, Uh Oh, and anonymous for reviewing. Thanks again!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


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